Tired Legs = Great Days

Prior to leaving, I was told about Europe’s old buildings. However, Maastricht has exceeded the expectations. Maastricht is the oldest city in the Netherlands and there is proof all over the city. Over the last 3 1/2 days I think I’ve walked over 15 miles, seen buildings dating back to the 12^th century, and been inside more than 5 churches. My legs have been sore but it’s been a great way to figure out the landscape.

Here are some of the sites we’ve seen. No, this isn’t even close to everything.

The City Hall of Maastricht was finished in 1684. Every Wednesday and Friday there is a city market in the square in front of the building.

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) is a Roman Catholic Basilica erected in the 12^th century. Olivia and I attended English mass on Saturday in the Crypt of the Basilica.

Helpoort and the original walls of the city were built around 1229. This area was full of history and yet there was a modern touch, a dance club in an old building next door.

Dominikanerkerk (Dominicans Church) was built between 1267 and 1280 and is considered one of the oldest Gothic structures in the Netherlands. This church was hidden in the shopping district and was fun to spend some time inside.

Sint-Janskerk church dates back to the 14^th century and can be seen from many places. It’s been a direction finder over the last few days.

Sint-Lambertuskerk (St. Lambert Church) is actually new compared to most of the churches. It was finished in 1916 but is a site that we get to see on the way to school. Sadly it's closed but I'd like to get inside.

Behind me is Sint Servaasbrug, an arched stone footbridge across the Meuse River. It is considered the oldest bridge in the Netherlands and was completed in 1298.

Bisschopsmolen mill dates back to 1442. Inside was a bakeshop and you could see the workings of the flour mill inside.

As you can see, Maastricht has a lot of beautiful sites and we’ve been busy. Classes start tomorrow but we'll continue to make time to see the sites.

Little Victories

The first few days of my study abroad experience has been trumpeted by little victories.  Some things have gone smoothly, navigating our flights and the train, while other things have been a little rough, navigating Maastricht and our flight was literally bumpy. However, Olivia and I have been able to appreciate that we made it through the first day, fairly successfully. Here’s a few of our little victories.

Little Victory #1

We made it to our apartment!! After the bumpy flight, and an insignificant amount of sleep we made it to Brussels safely. We picked up our luggage and found our way onto the first train. We had to hop trains two times but did so with the help of some nice ticket takers and found our way to Maastricht.

Little Victory #2

We found Maastricht University! After setting our rooms up Olivia and I decided to head out to find our school. We aren’t set to check in until today but we wanted to know where we had to go ahead of time. We also used this time to explore the city. The university is intertwined with the city and has several buildings throughout. I’m excited to take a tour and find out where our classes are located.

Little Victory #3

Ordering Dinner. This is the point in time where I really questioned what I had gotten myself into. Everything is in Dutch, making it hard to figure out where you want to eat and what to order. After walking around for a while we settled on Azie Tapas. I decided on the Wrap Carpaccio (dun gesneden rundvlees met rucola, parmesaanse kaas en truffelemayonaise). It sounded like a wrap with meat, parmesan and some sort of mayonnaise in it. It wasn’t a spectacular first meal but it was good enough to feel better.

The view from where we ate dinner.

Little Victory #4

We have groceries! Olivia and I wanted to get some groceries so that we don’t have to depend on our Dutch to eat out all the time. We found a grocery store near the town square where we ate. After walking the 1.5 miles back to our apartment we knew there had to be closer places. Luckily we met a hall mate that informed us of a few choices that are within a few blocks. So we will not be walking a long way with groceries again. PS. You have to bring your own grocery bags or else you pay .15 Euros to buy bags.

Little Victory #5

Figuring out how to change my internet settings so that everything on the computer isn’t translated into Dutch. This is just one of those little quarks that was unexpected. My computer was taking me to the Dutch version of every site and that was a problem as I don’t speak Dutch. So with some research and a lot of google translate, I figured out how to revert to English.

In the Beginning

Ready to board our first flight from KC to Chicago

Roland Gau said “If at some point you don’t ask yourself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ then you’re not doing it right.”

There I was waiting for my flight to Brussels, thinking to myself, “What have I gotten myself into?” Eight months ago I signed up for studying abroad, knowing it would be a completely new experience. I was going to miss my friends and family at home, but I was also eager to see what new adventures lie ahead. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, learn new things, be in an unfamiliar territory, and make new friends.

While you read this blog, keep in mind that my trip is more than learning about the Netherlands, seeing sites, and trying good beer. It’s also about getting this small town country boy out of his comfort zone, learning about himself, and growing into a stronger person.